Who inspires you? Is it an historical figure, a well-known contemporary figure, or someone you know personally? If you are like me, it is probably a number of people. I pose this question to you during Women’s History Month and must ask myself that same question.

Being on zoom calls from my home office every day, people are quick to notice and comment on the Ruth Bader Ginsburg portrait on the wall. She was truly an inspiring role model and her legacy lives on. The portrait is by a local artist, Taryn Nunez. I bought it at the 2020 Women’s Fund of Rhode Island (WFRI) annual fundraiser and silent auction (all virtual of course). WFRI invests in women and girls through research, advocacy, grant making, and strategic partnerships designed to achieve gender equity through systemic change. I support WFRI both financially and with volunteer time. I love that my RBG art is a conversation starter for both men and women who I “zoom” with. And I often hear stories of their daughters who consider RBG their hero.

I also have a picture on my desk that only I see. It is my mother a few years before she died from cancer. I am now the same age that she was when she died – a rather sobering fact. We grew up in very different times. She did not live long enough to see my life as a wife and mother beyond the first few years nor how my career has evolved. She was widowed in her early 40s and raised the four of us on her own. She inspired me at a young age to be strong, independent, and giving. Volunteer work was something we all did. We did not have much, but we could always help others who had less.

I must admit that growing up I didn’t have female heroes, but I read a lot of biographies of famous women. When I was young, they were mainly the wives of U.S. Presidents or pioneering women like Amelia Earhart. Nothing like the biographies of famous women available to young readers today. I guess my reading of the Hillary Clinton and Michele Obama autobiographies in recent years is a continuation of that. But they are true role models in their own right and nothing like the famous women I read about as a young girl.

In this world of social media with short video clips, memes, and quotes shared 24/7, there are snippets of inspiration for women everywhere. Makers Women and The Female Lead are two great sources for that on LinkedIn. I get a regular dose of them. One of my favorites is: “Strong women, may we know them, may we be them, may we raise them”.

I long for enough time to get into what appear to be several great books by and about women leaders:

“My Own Words” by Ruth Bader Ginsburg

“The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World” by Melinda Gates

“The Truths We Hold: An American Journey” by Kamala Harris

I like to say, “learn from the past and prepare for the future”. That goes for our young people as well. I look forward to when my granddaughters are old enough to read some of the inspiring books for young readers available now:

“Herstory: 50 Women and Girls Who Shook Up the World” by Katherine Halligan and Sarah Walsh

“Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg” by Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik

“Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World” by Rachel Ignotofsky

If you are looking for a way to celebrate Women’s History Month, I encourage you to donate to an organization committed to gender equity and think about giving a friend or loved one an inspiring book for their next birthday. And as a leader, renew your commitment to ensuring you create an equitable work environment that helps women grow and develop to their fullest. As a leader and a leadership coach, helping people grow as leaders is some of my most rewarding work.

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